{"id":1790729,"date":"2022-12-30T11:04:21","date_gmt":"2022-12-30T16:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1790729"},"modified":"2022-12-30T11:04:40","modified_gmt":"2022-12-30T16:04:40","slug":"pete-buttigieg-ignored-warnings-from-state-attorneys-general-on-holiday-airline-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pete-buttigieg-ignored-warnings-from-state-attorneys-general-on-holiday-airline-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"Pete Buttigieg ignores warnings from state attorneys general on holiday airline travel"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpete-buttigieg-ignored-warnings-from-state-attorneys-general-on-holiday-airline-travel%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1790729&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47-->\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Cancelled-Southwest-Airlines-Flight-AP-Photo_Yuki-Iwamura-Pete-Buttigieg-Warned-640x335-1.png\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\"   style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">President Joe Biden\u2019s Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, has ignored state attorneys general\u2019s repeated requests to protect consumers and hold airlines accountable for canceling flights in the months leading up to the ongoing holiday travel fiasco.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a8d-pre\">This Christmas holiday travel season has seen thousands of flight cancellations\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2022\/12\/28\/travel-woes-continue-southwest-canceled-over-2600-flights-tuesday\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cancelations<\/a>Southwest Airlines was the main culprit, and it was not able to recover its footing following a huge winter storm that hit the U.S.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>Buttigieg will be under greater scrutiny as he penalizes Southwest Airlines for thousands of cancelled flights. However, Buttigieg has been urged repeatedly to hold these airlines accountable during this holiday season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a8d-pre\">Letitia James (D, New York Attorney General) sent Buttigieg over the summer.\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/ag.ny.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/letter_from_ny_ag_letitia_james_to_secretary_pete_buttigieg_8.2.2022.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter<\/a>\u00a0That was the warning \u201cthe deeply troubling and escalating pattern of airlines delaying and canceling flights\u201d During holiday flight seasons. James\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/ag.ny.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/letter_from_ny_ag_letitia_james_to_secretary_pete_buttigieg_8.2.2022.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote:<\/a><\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Many airlines have blamed cancellations on staff shortages, especially due to a shortage of pilots. However, you know that the pilot shortage is caused in large part by actions taken on the part of the airlines to force pilots into early retirement, or shrink their pilot pool.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>A few weeks after James\u2019s letter, a coalition of 38 bipartisan state attorneys general sent a\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneygeneral.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/2022-08-31-Airline-Accountability-and-Increased-Consumer-Protection.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter<\/a>\u00a0Congressional leaders who accused the Department of Transportation of creating an atmosphere that encourages corruption \u201callows airlines to mistreat consumers and leaves consumers without effective redress.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf state attorneys general had a substantial and meaningful role in overseeing airline consumer protection, the failure of the US DOT would be ameliorated by the ability of state attorneys general to enforce the law,\u201d The state attorneys general\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneygeneral.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/2022-08-31-Airline-Accountability-and-Increased-Consumer-Protection.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D.MA) sent an additional message over the summer.\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.warren.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/2022.07.25%20Letter%20to%20DOT%20re%20airline%20consumer%20protection%20and%20competition.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter<\/a>\u00a0John Putnam, General Counsel for the Transportation Department, and Buttigieg urging the agency to \u201cfully utilize its statutory authority to protect consumers and promote competition in the airline industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"a8d-pre\">Despite these repeated requests, Buttigieg\u2019s Transportation Department failed to take meaningful action that would have prevented the ongoing holiday travel fiasco.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>Buttigieg, however, appeared on TV in September.\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6FlD6fHq8-g&#038;t=145s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">claimed<\/a>\u00a0Flying with an airline is possible \u201cis going to get better by the holidays.\u201d Buttigieg also said to James Corden on talk show that the Transportation Department was \u201creally pressing the airlines to deliver better service.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Buttigieg was still urged by state officials to act as soon as possible, even as recently as December.<\/p>\n<p>An alliance of 34 state attorneys general, led by Phil Weiser, Colorado Attorney General (D)\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/coag.gov\/press-releases\/12-19-22\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">called<\/a>\u00a0Buttigieg \u201cimpose significant fines for cancellations and extended delays that are not weather-related or otherwise unavoidable.\u201d Weiser\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/coag.gov\/press-releases\/12-19-22\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said:<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>As many Coloradans are planning to travel during the holidays and looking forward to seeing loved ones, now is a good time to remind USDOT that it has the opportunity to hold airlines accountable when they mistreat consumers, helping add ease to consumers\u2019 future travel plans and lessen unexpected financial burdens.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Buttigieg has not yet imposed any penalties on Southwest Airlines for its more than 3,000 flights\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2022\/12\/28\/travel-woes-continue-southwest-canceled-over-2600-flights-tuesday\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">canceled<\/a>\u00a0Since Christmas<\/p>\n<p><i>Jordan Dixon-Hamilton works as a reporter at Breitbart News. Reach him at\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"mailto:jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com\"><i>jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com<\/i><\/a><i> Follow him on <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jdixonhamilton\"><i>Twitter<\/i><\/a><i>.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Joe Biden\u2019s Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, has ignored state attorneys general\u2019s repeated requests to protect consumers and hold airlines accountable for canceling flights in the months leading up to the ongoing holiday travel fiasco. This Christmas holiday travel season has seen thousands of flight cancellations\u00a0cancelationsSouthwest Airlines was the main culprit, and it was not &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1789896,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[547],"tags":[11651,4849,5458,4943,7496,4042,8633,3819,3951,4068],"class_list":["post-1790729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bongino-report","tag-airline","tag-attorneys","tag-bongino","tag-buttigieg","tag-holiday","tag-ignores","tag-pete","tag-report","tag-travel","tag-warnings"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1790729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1790729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1790729\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1789896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1790729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1790729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1790729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}